update:
ok, in the last week, i’ve been round to a bunch of hearing aid stores/offices, just stopping in wherever, including costco, a chain store i can’t remember the name of now, walmart and several private practices. just picked up a few brochures, tried to get a feeling for the place, level of professionalism, competence, friendliness, atmosphere, that sort of thing.
it’s been an interesting and eye opening experience, to say the least. the way it usually goes is of course, is a brief hello and with the audi/fitter, mentioning that i’ve been hoh for at least 13 years and am only now seriously considering aids. then i show him/her my audiogram…and see their mouths drop open and their eyes widen in complete disbelief.
they all say the same thing…they can’t believe i’ve been able to cope/manage with this level of hearing loss for so long, and to my surprise a similar comment from each…they can’t believe my speech is so good, you can’t tell from my speech that i am so hard of hearing.
forgive my naivete in all this, please…gosh i’m just astounded at the reaction i’m getting. i keep thinking i can’t be as deaf as all these people think i am based on what is on a piece of paper. it isn’t denial so much as ignorance, i guess my capacity to cope exceeds my capacity to recognize how bad my hearing is. i know it’s pretty bad, but…well…wow.
last week i sent my audiogram in to that ebay seller, and after one or two emails, i decided online was not the way i would go. after researching here and reading about personal experiences, i realize that i will need extensive personal service and care, and most likely several trials before i can even possibly make a wise decision.
she offered me a better price on the dot 30s, but since i researched more in the meantime based on what hask told me about the dots probably not being strong enough for me, i said thanks but no thanks, and expected that to be the end of it. to my surprise, she came back and offered me a price on a pair of power azure az80 dvi’s that i simply could not refuse. i can’t imagine she is making any profit on these, i can only surmise that she took pity on me based on my audiogram???
before i took her offer, i made sure i could have them programmed locally. i found a local resound dealer and called the office (really close to my home…bonus!) to inquire about programming these aids. the audi/fitter at this office has over 20 years fitting experience, and the receptionist cheerfully said yes come see us, no problem, they’ll be happy to work with me even though i didn’t buy from them. the fitting fees were much more reasonable than i expected, so i decided to take a chance on these azures. i am not one to make impulsive or uninformed decisions about such important matters, and in fact, for several days after i sent the payment, i was feeling really anxious and worried.
will i love them will i hate them, will the azures be a good fit for me or not, i have no idea yet, but i do anticipate that it may take months of adjustments before i am able to accept or reject them. so to that end, i am committed to being patient and tolerant. if i don’t like them, well…i’ll donate them or sell them, i’ve decided that i will have no regrets about making this decision, no matter the outcome.
my basic understanding from what i’ve learned here and elsewhere, is that when it comes to premium level aids, it is likely that i would find any of the top brands a good fit, it seems the biggest factor towards success is in finding a good audi. having never worn aids before, i have nothing to compare to, no unreasonable expectations, so surely that will work in my favor, at least to some degree as well.
ok, i expect the azures to arrive in a couple of days, they will come programmed to my specs, but i have no delusions that i will be able to put them on and wear them right out of the gate.
if it is of interest, i will start another thread and sort of blog about my experience, good or bad…i’m not certain there’s anyone else out there as clueless as i am about all of this, but surely there will be some nugget in my experience that will help someone else, now or in the future. i’m resolved towards keeping a positive attitude, as i know this will contribute hugely towards a successful and satisfying outcome.